Satellite Networks

Vodacom to resell Starlink services, but not in South Africa (yet)

Vodacom to resell Starlink services, but not in South Africa (yet)

Vodacom Group revealed on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Starlink to leverage its LEO satellite service across Africa for enterprise connectivity and mobile backhaul, although not yet in its home base of South Africa, where Starlink has yet to receive regulatory approval.

Under the deal, Vodacom will be authorized to resell Starlink equipment and services to enterprise and small business customers in African markets where Starlink has licences.

As part of the agreement, Vodacom will also be able to create its own localized Starlink value propositions based on unique requirements and affordability levels of each market.

Vodacom said it will integrate Starlink into its terrestrial and space-based product portfolio for verticals in sectors such as mining, oil & gas, agriculture, tourism, retail and financial services.

Meanwhile, Vodacom will also integrate Starlink's satellite backhaul offering into its mobile networks to accelerate expansion of network coverage while increasing network performance in rural areas.

The Starlink deal is part of Vodacom's “Vision 2030” strategy to grow its customer base to 260 million and its financial services customers to 120 million within five years.

By harnessing Starlink as a complementary layer, Vodacom is edging closer to universal coverage and reaffirming its commitment to connecting people to a better future, said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.

“Low earth orbit satellite technology will help bridge the digital divide where traditional infrastructure is not feasible, and this partnership will unlock new possibilities for the unconnected,” he said in a statement.

Chad Gibbs, VP of Starlink operations at Starlink’s parent company SpaceX, noted that Starlink is now operational in 25 African countries.

However, South Africa is not one of them, as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk remains at loggerheads with the government over its 30% shareholding requirement for “historically disadvantaged” groups, a Black Economic Empowerment policy, which Musk opposes. Starlink must comply with the requirement to get a licence to operate in South Africa.

Website MyBroadband reports that Vodacom has confirmed its Starlink offering will not be available in South Africa until Starlink has its regulatory issues sorted.

Apart from South Africa, Vodacom currently has mobile operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.



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